SFS Chapter 24 Nezha Conquers the Dragon King
Chapter 24 Nezha Conquers the Dragon King
He paused, his tone growing increasingly serious:
"When my junior brother pressed him for details, Senior Brother Guangchengzi refused to say anything more, only shaking his head and leaving. My junior brother felt uneasy, which is why he came all the way to Chentang Pass, thinking he could also gain some insight into the world. Now that the border is indeed in turmoil, how can I stand idly by?"
Upon hearing this, the playful expression on Taiyi Zhenren's face vanished.
Did Senior Brother Guang Chengzi say that? As the head of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect and the tutor of the Yellow Emperor, he would never speak without reason.
He pondered for a moment, realizing that Yun Zhongzi was of human origin. He raised his head, looked at Yun Zhongzi, and said solemnly:
"Junior brother, since our senior brother says that demons will cause trouble on the human border, Chen Tang Pass, located on the coast of the East Sea, is the northeastern gateway to the Shang Dynasty and a very important place. Why don't my brother and I guard this place? If any evil spirits cause trouble, I can lend you a hand!"
These words were exactly what Yun Zhongzi wanted to hear, and he had his own plans in mind.
Firstly, even if he personally went to the various rebellious regions, he couldn't really do much besides checking if any sects were plotting against him. Killing mortals was a major taboo, as it would taint him with the aura of calamity, and he didn't want to end up like the Twelve Golden Immortals.
Secondly, Taiyi Zhenren was the most favored disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun. With such a temperament, he was able to enter the ranks of the Twelve Golden Immortals and was even bestowed with many innate magic treasures. This would have been impossible without Yuanshi Tianzun's favoritism. With him by my side, many things would be easier to handle.
Thirdly, since he and Taiyi Zhenren had already taken Nezha as their disciple, he was determined to protect the child's body made of the Nine Heavens Breath Soil. In the original story, Nezha returned his bones to his father and his flesh to his mother, thus wasting this extraordinary physical body. Someone must have been scheming behind this, and the one who could scheme against Lingzhu was no ordinary person.
"it is good."
Yun Zhongzi looked conflicted, but nodded reluctantly.
Taiyi Zhenren immediately beamed with joy, and Nezha jumped up with even greater happiness, clinging to Yun Zhongzi's leg and refusing to let go.
Yun Zhongzi stood in the courtyard, feeling somewhat sorry for his eldest disciple, Lei Zhenzi. He said, "Once I have settled everything here, I will go to Sanxiao Island to fetch you."
As for Chaoge, the pine sword hangs high above the palace tower, yet there has been no warning so far; with Wen Zhong in charge and Huang Feihu leading the troops, there should be no major problems within seven years.
Time flies, and seven years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Over the course of seven years, numerous traces of demons were indeed discovered within a radius of several hundred miles around Chentang Pass.
These demons are burdened with karmic debts, some of whom have even taken human form. They hide among the villages, emerging at night and hiding by day, presumably plotting something.
Taiyi Zhenren and Yun Zhongzi patrolled together, unleashing the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover and the Heavenly Divine Fire Pillar, annihilating the demons burdened by karma.
During this period, Yun Zhongzi indeed discovered clues about the Western Sect and the Jie Sect.
He even saved a young girl at Chentang Pass, who turned out to be Su Daji, who was supposed to be possessed by a nine-tailed fox and wreak havoc on the court.
Daji recognized him at a glance as the wandering Taoist priest she had bumped into in Chaoge that day. She was surprised to find that the priest possessed such supernatural powers, and her eyes lit up with excitement.
Nezha was already seven years old at this time.
With the Nine Heavens Breath Soil as his body and the Spirit Pearl as his soul, after seven years of cultivation, he has already firmly established himself in the realm of Celestial Immortals.
Standing six feet tall, though only seven years old, he looked like a teenager; with a fair face and red lips, a hint of brilliance flickered between his brows, and an aura of dignified authority emanated from him.
On this day, in August, the heat was unbearable.
After finishing his cultivation, Nezha felt restless and went to find Taiyi Zhenren.
"Master! It's too hot! Nezha wants to go out and take a bath!"
In a paradise like this, why would anyone fear the heat? It's just an excuse to go out and have some fun.
Taiyi Zhenren was dozing under the shade of a tree, with the pink flying pig lying beside him, grunting and twitching its ears. Seeing Nezha running over, Taiyi Zhenren groggily opened his eyes and waved his hand:
"Go on, go on, and come back soon. Don't go too far, or your Master Yun Zhongzi will blame me if he can't find you when he returns."
Nezha responded, took the Universe Ring and the Hun Tian Ling, and summoned two servants from the Li family. He then rushed out of Chen Tang Pass in high spirits.
Not far beyond the pass, there is a wide river with shimmering water, and its banks are shaded by green trees, with cicadas chirping incessantly.
This river is called the Jiuwan River. Its water flows from west to east into the East China Sea, and it is located right next to the East China Sea port.
Nezha found a secluded river bend, dismissed his two attendants, removed his outer robe, and sat on a huge rock by the river. He placed the Seven-Foot Chaos Ribbon into the clear river water. As this innate spiritual treasure entered the water, it was like a ball of fire falling into the blue waves, instantly turning the entire river crimson.
He splashed water to bathe, his sash fluttering in the water.
With a slight sway, the entire Jiuwan River shook violently, with waves three feet high rising on the surface, crashing against the banks with a loud boom.
With a slight sway, the riverbed churned, stirring up the silt that had accumulated over thousands of years. The river water turned an even redder red, as if the entire Nine Bends River were ablaze.
Nezha was so engrossed in playing in the water that he was completely unaware of the power of the Hun Tian Ling (a magical ribbon).
Beneath the East Sea lies the Crystal Palace.
Ao Guang sat upright on the dragon throne, discussing matters with Ao Bing and the Turtle Prime Minister.
Suddenly, the entire Crystal Palace shook violently.
The dragon throne swayed twice, and Ao Guang almost dropped the jade tablet in his hand. The coral lamp holders in the hall jingled, and a luminous pearl rolled down from the caisson ceiling, smashing to pieces on the jade steps.
Outside the palace, the fish scattered, the shrimp soldiers and crab generals staggered about, and some timid mermaid palace maids screamed loudly.
"What's going on!"
Ao Guang gripped the armrest of the dragon throne and shouted in a deep voice:
"They're here!"
Prime Minister Turtle and Ao Bing exchanged a glance, their faces lighting up with joy:
"I hereby inform my father, Dragon King, that our dragon race's opportunity has arrived..."
Ao Guang narrowed his eyes, nodded slightly with his dragon head, and suddenly stood up:
"Issue the order! Command the sea patrol yaksha Li Gen to immediately proceed to the estuary to investigate! He must find out what is causing this trouble!"
The order is to follow the water flow and arrive in a short while.
Li Gen, the sea patrol yaksha, received the Dragon King's decree, picked up a mountain-splitting axe, parted the waterways, and went upstream from the mouth of the Jiuwan River.
Looking into the distance, he saw the entire river water was dazzlingly red, radiating spiritual light, with turbulent undercurrents surging like boiling water.
He followed the crimson light source and went to the bend in the river. He peered out of the water and immediately saw a boy sitting on a boulder on the bank, holding a red silk ribbon in his hand, swaying back and forth in the water.
The yaksha parted the water and leaped onto the shore.
"Hey!"
He shouted sharply, his voice like a broken gong:
"You naughty child! What evil object are you using to cause trouble! You've stained the river red and shaken the Dragon Palace! What is your punishment?!"
Nezha turned around and looked.
Suddenly, a monster emerged from the water.
The monster was twelve feet tall, with a face as blue as indigo, and a head of red hair like cinnabar piled up on its head. Its gaping maw stretched to its ears, and two fangs protruded from its lower lip, gleaming coldly. Its bare upper body was bulging with muscles, and the veins on the back of its hands bulged. In its palm, it held a massive axe, the blade of which was as big as a millstone.
Nezha tilted his head and looked him up and down.
"You beast."
His tone carried a mixture of curiosity and disdain:
"Who are you, this freak, that you dare to speak so disrespectfully to me?"
The Yaksha was furious.
He was a registered official in the Heavenly Kings Hall of the Heavenly Court, ordered by the Jade Emperor to inspect the East Sea. Even ordinary immortals would treat him with respect. This brat, still wet behind the ears, dared to call him a beast!
"I am a sea patrol yaksha appointed by the Dragon King and dispatched by the Heavenly Court! You dare call me a beast?! Ugh! I'm furious!"
The Yaksha leaped across the water and landed on the shore. He raised his giant axe, its blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight. With that, he brought the axe down.
Nezha stood naked on the rock. Seeing the fierce axe coming, he was not flustered. He nimbly dodged to the side, and the axe blade grazed his shoulder and struck the boulder, sparks flying and stone chips flying everywhere.
With a flick of his right wrist, the Qiankun Ring flew out of his hand, radiating golden light.
This treasure is the supreme artifact guarded by the True Man Taiyi in the Golden Light Cave, and was personally bestowed by the Primordial Heavenly Venerable of the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun. Although not innate, it is still a top-grade acquired spiritual treasure. Its body is engraved with densely packed Jade Purity talismans, and as golden light flows, a heavy and overwhelming aura that suppresses all things spreads across the sky.
Yaksha's pupils contracted. He wanted to dodge, but the Universe Ring came too fast, so fast that he didn't even have time to finish his thought.
A flash of golden light struck the top of the door.
With a crisp "crack," the Yaksha's head, which resembled a deep blue-green dye, was dented by the Qiankun Ring. Brain matter splattered, mixed with dark green blood, all over the ground.
The massive body swayed twice, then collapsed to the ground with a thud, twitched a couple of times, and then died.
Nezha reached out and summoned the Universe Ring back.
He glanced down at the ring, which was covered in a sticky, greenish substance, and wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"On the contrary, it made my Qiankun Ring dirty."
As he spoke, he sat back down on the rock and immersed the Universe Ring in the river water, slowly washing it. The Hun Tian Ling continued to float in the water, its crimson light not diminishing but becoming even more dazzling.
The two magical treasures entered the water at the same time, causing an even greater shock to their magical power.
At the bottom of the Nine Bends River, the undercurrents were boiling, and beneath the East China Sea, the Crystal Palace shook violently once again.
Instead of being annoyed, Ao Guang smiled.
"The sea patrol yaksha went to investigate, but hasn't returned yet! The commotion outside is so fierce; something must have happened!"
Before he could finish speaking, a dragon soldier stumbled into the hall, his face ashen, and knelt down with a thud:
"I...I hereby report to the Dragon King!"
"Speak!" Ao Guang said in a deep voice.
"Li Gen, the sea patrol yaksha, was beaten to death on the spot by a mischievous child on the shore!"
A smile flashed across Ao Guang's eyes:
"Li Gen is a celestial official personally appointed by the Jade Emperor in the Lingxiao Palace. Who would dare to kill him without authorization?"
He abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with righteous indignation:
"Send word! Assemble the dragon soldiers! I will personally set sail to investigate the murderer's origins!"